Theater review: 'Touch and Go' from Celery Soup

October 29, 2010|By Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel theater critic

There's just no way to separate Sanford from Celery Soup's debut stage production "Touch and Go."

The play is drawn from real-life stories of Sanford residents, it's acted by mostly amateurs drawn from the Sanford area. It takes place in a revitalized theater smack dab in the center of Sanford's quaint, brick-lined downtown historic district.

And with that community spirit, it's easy to overlook a missed line here, a prop fumble there.

"Touch and Go" was never about technical perfection, after all; it was about finding the heart of a community. And at that, it most definitely succeeds.

"Touch and Go" has been years in the making, as volunteers gathered oral histories from residents and then turned them over to Community Performance International to fashion into a show. Playwright Jules Corriere has selected stories that center on resilience and overcoming obstacles — a good choice as non-Sanfordites such as myself can relate to the tales.

The show takes place in a sort of limbo of memories and impressions. Characters can see younger versions of themselves and talk to people from their past. If this sounds confusing, it isn't. Richard Geer's straightforward direction keeps attention focused where it needs to be.

With amateur theater comes a few drawbacks: a child who rushes through his lines, an adult who doesn't project her voice. But such instances were few. And some of the acoustics issues in the large Princess Theater hall could be solved by having actors face the audience more directly when speaking.

There's a cast of 70, and different actors play different roles at various performances. At least one was a professional entertainer the night I attended: jazz singer Jacqueline Jones was featured as a wise mother in a story about a young black girl's first encounter with the ugliness of racism.

Many of the stories are lighthearted — a childhood prank to get school cancelled, brightly played by five teenage girls, or a young baseball player lusting after the Celery Queen. And five original songs, simple and tuneful, keep things lively — as does an energetic 2-year-old, the youngest cast member who shows a flair for choreography.

But seeing "Touch and Go" is so much more than what's onstage. Attending a performance is an experience in itself.

It's watching the cast hug friends in the audience, or in the case of the younger performers, kiss their parents before heading off to the stage. It's watching senior citizens thank the ushers for finding extra chairs for a sold-out performance.

Outside the theater, it's hearing a nearby café worker calling out, "Y'all going to the play? You're really going to like it." In Sanford, you see, it's just "the play." People know what you're talking about.

The most heartwarming moment of my evening occured during intermission when a teenager gave a young boy a piggyback ride. As it happened, one was white, one black. And their joyful playing — just moments after watching those painful memories of racism from decades ago — vividly echoed the song we the audience had just heard: "Change will come, change will come."

This heartfelt piece of theater has made itself part of that change and an engaging part of the long history of Sanford.